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Topic

Connecting Threads: Exploring the Link between Academic Help Seeking and Student Sense of Belonging in Online Learning

Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies

Date & location

• Friday, January 10, 2025

• 9:30 A.M.

• Clearihue Building

• Room B019

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Mariel Miller, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Allyson Hadwin, Department of Psychology, UVic (Non-unit Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Anna C. Brady, Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading, Georgia Southern University 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Ruthanne Tobin, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, UVic

   

Abstract

Online post-secondary learning has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, and this trend has accelerated further since the global pandemic. Although online education can provide more flexible access to post-secondary study, it can be challenging as learners are often required to manage their learning more independently and may experience fewer social connections. Adaptive help-seeking-seeking enough support to solve problems independently—is critical for academic success, yet research on this behavior in online contexts remains limited. Few studies have explored how factors like sense of belonging influence help-seeking in online environments. This study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between sense of belonging in online courses and students' adaptive and maladaptive help-seeking. Participants were 129 undergraduate students in a first-year, hybrid course, working in small learning pods with access to various help-seeking resources. Toward the end of the course, sense of belonging was assessed using the sense of belonging subscale in the Perceived Cohesion scale (Bollen & Hoyle, 1990), and academic help-seeking was measured using a scale adapted from Karabenick (2004) and Han (2014). Findings indicated sense of belonging had a positive relationship with adaptive help-seeking. However, there was a negative relationship between sense of belonging and maladaptive help-seeking (avoidant and threat-based). Also, there was an insignificant relationship between sense of belonging and executive help-seeking. These results contribute to a broader understanding of the interplay between a sense of belonging and help-seeking in online learning, paving the way for the design of supportive online classes that foster adaptive help seeking.

Keywords: Sense of belonging, online learning, academic help-seeking, self-regulated learning